Government
Georgia law lifts requirements on general surgery centers
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 19, 2008
Georgia physicians say a new law easing certificate-of-need requirements on some ambulatory surgery centers will help expand access to care and lower health care costs.
The measure, enacted April 9, reclassifies general surgery as a single specialty, rather than multiple specialties, and lifts certain restrictions requiring general surgical centers to demonstrate need before offering services. The Medical Assn. of Georgia supported the change, which takes effect July 1.
The legislation was prompted, in part, by a lawsuit the hospital industry brought challenging a similar rule approved by the state Dept. of Community Health last December. The state medical society joined the case as a defendant. Lawyers involved now expect the suit to be dismissed.
An attorney for the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals said the new law resolves some of the hospitals' concerns by mandating general surgical centers to meet minimum charity and indigent care requirements. But hospitals still worry that the measure could jeopardize patient care by allowing the ambulatory facilities to pick higher-paying patients.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/05/19/gvbf0519.htm.
